Sandfords Events Centre,

A multi purpose Events Centre located in Opunake, South Taranaki.

Sandfords Events Centre is South Taranaki’s premier sports, recreation, events and function centre based in Opunake, South Taranaki. There is plenty of parking and also provision for field sports, indoor stadium sports, Squash Courts, Tennis Courts plus a Health and Fitness Gymnasium. The venue is ideal for tournaments and caters for everyday to multiple sports codes, training, education, social and family events. We also offer conference facilities with a fully licensed restaurant to cater for events of all sizes from small training events to larger exhibitions. Please see the FACILITIES tab above, for more information about what we offer.

History - In 1994, four Opunake men consisting of Gavin Gopperth, John Kensington, Merv Tamatea and Peter Burnnand, discussed the possibility of developing a new sporting facility in Opunake.

It was realised that the then current sporting facilities in Opunake were reaching, or had past, their used by dates.

Several meetings were held to discuss the options, and it was soon realised that should any construction of a new facility take place, the project would benefit from the assistance that could be provided by local tradesmen. As a result, local businessmen Steve Corkill, David Gibson and Conrad Kuriger became involved.

Other members of the public also came onboard, and the Opunake Sports and Recreation Trust was formed in 1993. As the facility was to be constructed upon a Council Reserve, The South Taranaki District Council insisted a referendum be held in the local ward in order to confirm local support for the proposed facility –the referendum showed that a majority of those that took part in the referendum were in support.

The Trustees and volunteers not only donated their personal time and labour during the construction of the facility, but many products required during the construction were often obtained at less than trade prices. Local business support was exemplary.

As a result of the above, the Sandfords Event Centre in Opunake was open for public use in 2003. Although the Events Centre had not been completed in it's entirety, most of its major facilities were operational, and at that time, the Events Centre was valued at close to 4 million dollars.